Meet Our Officers

Published by dcohen on Fri, 01/20/2017 - 9:29am

The Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee held its organizational meeting on January 5, 2017. The members elected in the June 2016 Primary election were sworn in, and they were joined by newly-appointed club representatives and alternates representing our ex officio members.

The Central Committee elected the following officers:

Chair- Bill James

Bill has been a member of the Central Committee since 2002, and he served as Vice Chair for three years prior to being elected Chair. He is a Navy veteran who attended Stanford Law School after leaving the Navy and now works as a patent lawyer serving high tech companies in Silicon Valley. He has lived in Japan and Mexico, and is proficient in Spanish. Bill will lead the local Party through a structured goal setting process that will include engaging and getting input from the many Democrats who are alarmed to see Donald Trump become President. He plans to broaden the Party’s fundraising base, to ensure we have the resources we need to win elections and stand up for our Democratic values.

Vice Chair – John Comiskey

John has been active locally in the Democratic Party for many years, most recently through his involvement in the Santa Clara County Democratic Club and the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, which he co-chairs. He is the Vice President of Issues and Political Action of the California Democratic Council, a statewide organization, and a two-time recipient of the COPE Campaign All Star award. His priorities as Vice Chair include securing the permanence of our local Democratic Party headquarters, leveraging the energy of our local Democratic clubs through cooperative efforts, and identifying and preparing Progressive candidates early, so they can win.

Secretary – Helen Chapman

Helen Chapman has been active as a community leader for over 25 years. She retired from San Jose Unified School District and currently works as a Policy and Legislative Advisor to Councilmember Sergio Jimenez, District 2. She is President of the Silicon Valley Democratic Club and a member of DAWN (Democratic Activists for Women Now). In 2016 she ran for San Jose City Council, District 6, and finished second out of a field of eight candidates. Helen believes that in these challenging times we Democrats must hold to our values and commitment to equality and justice for all, especially women, our youth, working families, veterans and the unheard voices of our community.

Treasurer – Angelica Ramos

Angelica Ramos served as the local Party’s Director of Campaign Services during the Central Committee’s most recent term. In 2012, Angelica coordinated the grassroots effort that helped secure the final seat of the first Democratic supermajority in the California State Assembly since the 19th Century. In addition to her involvement in the Party, Angelica serves as Chairman of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Silicon Valley. In her role as Treasurer, she plans to ensure the Party has sufficient funds to build a strong Party organization and infrastructure and win campaigns.